


The Anniversary

by halequeencora (weird533)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hale Family Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Stora
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-18
Packaged: 2017-12-22 19:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/916950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weird533/pseuds/halequeencora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"When she died I started having these panic attacks. I got over them eventually but every year on the day she died it's like I'm back at that day and I have a panic attack. I know what today is Cora." </p><p>When she turned around his eyes were on the floor. She felt the need to say something back but her words choked her. She hated this day and she hated how it made her feel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to make this only one chapter but it got kinda long so I split it into two.

Cora hadn't slept in days and when she did sleep she had nightmares. Her stomach groaned loudly but the sight of any food made her want to barf. She sat at a cafeteria table by herself in one of Derek's old shirts and a pair of sweatpants. Her hair was greasy and pulled back into a messy bun with a few stands falling in her face as she doodled in her notebook. 

Stiles has spotted Cora looking particularly depressing. Not that any of the Hales we exactly happy people but he could tell something was wrong. Scott was off with Isaac and Allison doing 'whatever' and Lydia was off probably doing Aidan.

"You clean up nice." She'd been blocking out the sounds of the constant chatter in the lunch room but his voice rang in her ear like nails on a chalk board and brought her back to the noise.

"I look like shit." Her voice sounded tired and she didn't look up at him. 

"Yeah you kinda smell like it too." She didn't respond to him and kept trying to block him out. He leaned in to get a look at her notebook. "So what are you working on there?" He asked seeing that she was just drawing the triskelion that Derek had as a tattoo over and over again. 

Still no response. Cora just wanted him to go away so she could go back to the silence. "I'm not in the mood for the sarcasm right now Stilinski."

Stiles could feel something big was going on, something familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it. "What no threat to punch me in the face?" She stopped drawing and just looked at her pencil like she was willing her hand to keep going. "Cora what's wrong? Did something happen?"

She felt exhausted and the last thing she wanted to do was talk to a guy she barely knew about this. "I'm fine." She needed to get it together and she needed to get away from him. She'd never let other people see her cry and she wasn't going to start now.

Cora got up from the table, leaving her notebook and pencil, and walked away. Before she left Stiles saw her wipe away a tear from her cheek. He'd never seen her cry, he'd never seen any of the Hales cry. He just figured that they didn't have tear ducts or something. 

He got this feeling that he was forgetting something or that there was something he should know. His phone buzzed with a text from Scott saying that he wasn't going to track practice after school. After responding he saw the date and recognized it. He grabbed her stuff and ran after her. She was hidden in an empty classroom facing the wall.

"Dammit Stiles can't you take a hint? I want to be alone."

She sounded pissed and Stiles became very aware that if she wanted to she could kill him easily. Despite this he closed the door behind him and walked over to her, not exactly sure what he was going to say but he knew that he was going to try and help. "When my mom had got sick she spent a lot of time in the hospital." He stopped not sure if he wanted to keep talking about his mom. Cora wiped her face dry and could hear his heart beat a little faster. "When she died I started having these panic attacks. I got over them eventually but every year on the day she died it's like I'm back at that day and I have a panic attack. I know what today is Cora." When she turned around his eyes were on the floor. She felt the need to say something back but her words choked her. She hated this day and she hated how it made her feel. 

"All year I'm fine and then this week comes and I don't know what happens but I feel so powerless. Some times I wish I had died that night."

"Cora..."

"I was the reason everyone was in the basement.They all acted like they forgot my birthday and my mom was going to make me go downstairs to train and they were going to surprise me." Stiles didn't say anything he just listened. Cora wanted to get out of there before she got anymore word vomit in from of Stiles. "I'm gonna call Derek to come and get me."

"I'll take you." He offered without hesitation. 

"It's fine..."

"C'mon." He pulled his keys out of his pocket and walked out not leaving Cora a chance to refuse. 

They sat int Stiles' jeep as he drove her to the loft. Sometimes he'd glace over and see her looking out the window. The silence was starting to make him anxious and he knew it was probably a stupid idea to keep talking about it but he couldn't help it. 

"How'd you know?" Stiles had once again brought her back to reality with a random question. "I mean ya know how'd you know that they were throwing you a surprise party?"

"I don't like surprises. I ease dropped on conversations and found the party stuff." 

"I used to get in trouble for finding the presents before Christmas. My dad would get so pissed."

She could feel her eyes starting to water again and tried to force them back. "Stiles I dont want to talk about this anymore."

"Right...sorry."

"It's fine." He pulled up to the building and Cora was thankful that Derek wasn't there. "Thanks for the ride." She said as she hopped out of the jeep and headed for the door.

"Any time." Stiles said to no one. He watched Cora walk inside. It felt weird to him to see he like that, like someone had drained out all of her energy. She was Derek's sister in every sense of the word- sarcastic, narcissistic, hit first and ask questions later. He knew how she felt because he felt it too when ever he though about his mom. In a way Cora reminded him of her, if his mom was scary and could literally rip him apart. 

Cora listened to Stiles drive away from inside the loft and then decided to take a shower. She though it'd make her feel better but it didn't. She tried to call Derek but he didn't answer and she couldn't stand to look at Peter with Laura on her brain. Time ticked by slowly and she did everything to make it go faster-reading, working out, drawing- nothing worked. After a while she found herself sprawled out on the floor with headphones blaring music into her ear and she didn't notice Stiles' Jeep pulling up outside.

He didn't know why but he couldn't get Cora out of his head, talking about his mom was the hardest thing but with her it felt normal. He went back to school but ditched track practice and went back to the loft. He expected her to meet him at the door but she was laid out on the ground looking up at the ceiling. Stiles could hear the music from her headphones from where he was standing. He walked over and waved his hand over her face.

She leaped off the floor and onto her feet. This was the third time today that he had broken her quiet and she couldn't figure out if it was annoying or cute. "What are you doing here?" 

" I-I was...not exactly sure exactly but I just wanted to say that if you need someone to talk to..."

"I don't!" She didn't mean to snap at him. He was trying to help and she didn't know how or if he even could. "Sorry. Why are you here Stiles? Really?"

He didn't know if he could answer that because he didn't know. He didn't know why he felt the need to be near her and to help her. "Maybe because I know what you're going through, I don't know. Maybe I'm just nice."

She looked him over and he was pale, lanky, awkward, fragile, human. She could tell that he wasn't going to leave her alone. "Fine, what'd you have in mind?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him. She didn't know what it was about him that made her actually even consider doing it but she didn't like it.

"Every year on the day my mom died I go see her so I thought..."

"Stiles I can't." The idea of going to see where everyone was buried terrified her. She couldn't see how it would make her feel better.

"I know it sounds scary but It helps. Trust me on this, it helps. " He knew it was a long shot but at least she didn't take a swing at him. He could see her considering it. "You don't have to do it I just thought it'd be a good idea.

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him."Okay whatever. It beats sitting here by myself right?." A smile spread across Stiles' face and it made her want to punch him. She put on her pair of converse and followed him outside to the jeep.

Stiles could see Cora fidgeting out the corner of his eye. He definitely wouldn't describe her as fidgety, if anything she was usually very still and when she wasn't threatening him she was quiet. 

The car ride felt like forever to Cora. She was glad that Stiles wasn't a werewolf because the way her heart was beating was kind of embarrassing. Her stomach turned and her skin felt hot but she didn't let it show. She knew Stiles had noticed her fidgeting and it made her even more nervous. She didn't like the idea of him thinking of her as weak.

The cemetery was empty and the sun was behind a cloud making everything seem a big gray. Cora knew it was a coincidence because things like that only happened in movies. Stiles parked the jeep and cut the engine and without the rumbling it made the silence more awkward. After a few deep breaths she opened the door and hopped out. She scanned the cemetery and realized that she didn't know where they were buried. She didn't go to the funeral and it wasn't something she had talked to Derek about. 

Stiles looked over at her and felt like an idiot when he realized she didn't know where to go. He frantically got out of the Jeep and went over to her. "I did some research. It's this way." She gave him a small smile, at least it looked like one to him. He walked to the back of the cemetery with her in step next to him. He fought the urge to reach for her hand and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

Cora locked on to the stone that read Talia Hale and walked straight to it without looking at Stiles. He fell back behind her a couple feet which she was grateful for. There were fresh flowers and she could smell traces Derek's cologne coming from them. She stared down at her mothers grave stone and she didn't feel the need to cry or to crawl up in a ball, she just felt angry.

"What am I supposed to say?" Stiles wasn't sure if she was asking him or herself. Her eyes were focused on the stone and her hands clenched into fist. 

"Am I supposed to cry and say that I miss her? That I wish she was here? Do I tell her about my day or about my year or the past six years? Talking to this rock with my mother's name etched into it isn't going to make me feel better because I'm not sad. I'm angry at her for throwing that stupid party when she knew I didn't want it, when she knew that we never let our guard down during a lunar eclipse. Now everyone is dead Peter's a psycho, and Derek... he isn't Derek anymore."

She took a couple steps back and looked at the other head stones around her mother's before turning and heading back towards the Jeep. Stiles was right behind her but he didn't know what to say. 

"Should I take you back?" He asked starting up the jeep and pulling out of his parking spot.

Cora shook her head and looked over at him. "Can we hangout for a while? I really don't want to be in the loft by myself right now." She didn't like that it sounded more like a plea but he had seen her yell at her dead mother and cry, which is more than anyone else has seen.

"Sure." He drove for a while trying to figure out where exactly to go. He thought of taking her back to his house but he didn't want her to think he was trying something. His stomach growled loudly even if Cora wasn't a werewolf she would've probably still heard it. He saw her eye him and look like she was trying not to laugh. "Sorry. I only had a banana this morning and I skipped out on lunch."

"Lets get something to eat then. I haven't really eaten anything the past couple days anyway." 

Stiles drove to the diner he goes to with his dad. Cora remembered being there with Laura and her mom once but she didn't say anything about it. They sat across from each other in a booth in the back.

The waitress came over with a smile on her face that made Cora uncomfortable. "Hey Stiles! The usual burger and curly fries?" He returned her smile and nodded.

"The same for me." Cora said as they both looked at her for her order. The waitress came back a few minutes later with two Cokes and another weird smile before disappearing into the kitchen. "So in an effort to get rid of the dark cloud, how are things in the land of Scott and Stiles?"

Stiles laughed and took a sip of his soda. "Scott's been all about Allison and Isaac these days."

"Aren't you two supposed to be joined at the hip or something?"

"Who needs the old version when you've got two of the new model?" He watched her rip open a sugar packet and pour it into her soda curiously. "You know those come sweetened right?"

She just smirked and stirred her drink as it started to fizz up almost spilling over the sides. "It's was something I picked up from Laura." 

"What's the point of that exactly?"

Cora smirked at him. "I don't know I never really asked. But it used to make me laugh." Stiles was surprised but figured it was the closest thing to a smile he was going to see.

"Okay here you go. Two cheeseburgers and two orders of curly fries." The waitress sang as she placed their food on the table. "Thanks Jess."

Stiles dove into his burger and shoved his face with curly fries. Cora poked around her fries and took a couple bites from her burger but he could see that she was trying to make it look like she was eating but he saw through it. "So how are things over at the Hall of Doom?" He asked shoving more fried in his mouth.

"Hall of Doom?" He instantly regretted his choice of words. He tried to take it back but his mouth was full. "There are no cool chicks in the Legion of Doom. Cheetah is a just Catwoman and Giganta is only good when she's giant. I'm more of a Secret Six fan." Stiles goggled at her completely taken back. He was sure she was going to snap at him but he definitely wasn't expecting that. "What? I can't like comic books because I'm a girl?"

"What? No..I didn't say that?" 

Cora laughed as he stumbled over his words. "Relax Stiles, I was kidding. The fact that you find me so terrifying is hilarious." He liked her laugh, it was cute and completely unexpected. It made her seem a lot more normal and less like an angry werewolf.

"Glad I can amuse you." Stiles scarfed down the last of his food and sipped on his soda. Cora pushed the rest of her food towards him knowing she wasn't going to eat it. "You didn't answer my question."

"That's because I was avoiding it." She said playing with the straw in her soda. She felt comfortable talking to Stiles. It was easy to tell him things she'd never tell anyone else and even though she'd hate to admit it, he was making her feel a lot better. "It's weird being around Derek without anything drastic going on. We don't really know what to do or say so to avoid saying the wrong thing we just don't say anything. And Peter is an arrogant ass and I always get the feeling he's up to something."

"Because he probably is." He pushed the burger back towards her but kept the fries. "You said you haven't eaten in a few days so we're not leaving until you finish your burger."

She didn't argue with him like he was expecting. Cora took a couple bites of the burger and went back to sipping her soda. "Why do you think of yourself as the old model?" She asked remembering what he said earlier.

"What?"

"Before when I asked you about Scott you said 'who needs the old version when you have the new model'. Why'd you say that?" Stiles just shrugged and ate a couple more fries. "Oh no. I've been pouring my heart out in front of you all day. Spill the beans Stilinski."

"I don't know, it was just something I said." He stuffed more fries in his mouth to avoid saying anything else. He didn't really know what to say, it was hard to put into words.

"Well for the record, and I will deny this if you tell anyone I said it, you are a really great friend to have. Scott's an idiot if he doesn't appreciate that, trust me I know what it's like to not appreciate your friends enough." Cora finished her burger and watched Stiles finish off her fries.

He was curious about what she meant but he didn't push it. Stiles figured he'd bring it up another time, if there was another time. They fought over who was going to pay for the food but then decided to just split the bill. 

"Where to now?" 

They both hopped in the jeep and Stiles pulled out of the parking lot."I don't know. Back to the loft I guess I don't know where Derek is or if he's going to come back tonight."

"Okay." 

The ride was quiet again but not as awkward. "You mind if I turn the radio on?" Cora asked. 

"Knock your self out." Cora played around with the radio for a while before stopping on a 90's rock station that was playing Blink 182 'First Date'. "I love this song!." Stiles yelled as he started belting out the lyrics and she couldn't help but laugh at him. After a while they were both singing at the top of their lungs. The rest of the way to the loft they sang whatever song came on next (Green Day, Blink 182, Red Hot Chili Peppers). 

When Stiles pulled up Cora spotted Derek's car and could hear him inside. "Here we are."

"Yeah. Thanks Stiles."

He just shrugged. "No big deal." He was happy to help her and in a way he needed it just as much as she did.

"It is actually. I didn't think that this would work but I do feel a lot better so thanks." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you at school." Stiles was shocked. He stared after her as she headed inside, his heart racing and his cheek tingling where she kissed him. 

_Cora Freaking Hale._ He thought to himself as he pulled away shaking his head.

 **Stiles Fucking Stilinski.** Cora thought before walking into the loft and closing the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and tell me what you think. 
> 
> I'm thinking of taking this further
> 
> Tumblr (halequeencora.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> Comment please.
> 
> Tumblr (halequeencora.tumblr.com)


End file.
